--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tyrants are always assassinated too late…" description: "\"Tyrants are always assassinated too late. That is their great excuse.\" — Emile M. Cioran" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/emile-m-cioran-1211_democracy_tyrants-are-always-assassinated-too-late_247654.jpg" --- # Tyrants are always assassinated too late. That is their… ![“Tyrants are always assassinated too late. That is their great excuse.” quote by Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/emile-m-cioran-1211_democracy_tyrants-are-always-assassinated-too-late_247654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/emile-m-cioran-1211_democracy_tyrants-are-always-assassinated-too-late_247654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/emile-m-cioran-1211_democracy_tyrants-are-always-assassinated-too-late_247654.jpg) > “Tyrants are always assassinated too late. That is their great excuse.” [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power often meets its end too late, making excuses for its own downfall. **In simple terms:** Tyrants die after their chance to act. Key Takeaway Act before it’s too late. Themes power timing excuse Mood cautionary philosophical Type critical reflective When to use this quote - leadership decisions - policy implementation - historical analysis Key Concepts political decay fatalism Questions to Reflect On - What excuses justify delayed action? - Can early intervention change outcomes? A Different Perspective Late action can render power meaningless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/) ## Related quotes > [We love getting dressed up - and this is a great excuse for a party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/we-love-getting-dressed-up-and-this-is-a-great-excuse-for-a-party/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [Nothing you do particularly matters. But I'm not sure that's a great excuse for doing it poorly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/nothing-you-do-particularly-matters-but-i-m-not-sure-that-s-a-great/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [If we go out we'll go to the cinema which is a great excuse for me to eat popcorn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-bridge/if-we-go-out-we-ll-go-to-the-cinema-which-is-a-great-excuse-for-me-to/) [Frankie Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-bridge/) > [Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/faith-is-the-great-cop-out-the-great-excuse-to-evade-the-need-to-think/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Kids are a great excuse for you to stop acting like one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-madsen/kids-are-a-great-excuse-for-you-to-stop-acting-like-one/) [Michael Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-madsen/) > [“Whether it be training, dieting, working out, or work ethic, for every great excuse "Not" to do something, there are 100 "better" reasons for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-boyer-2/whether-it-be-training-dieting-working-out-or-work-ethic-for-every/) [Mark W. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-boyer-2/) > [Twitter is a great excuse to talk to your self without looking stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/twitter-is-a-great-excuse-to-talk-to-your-self-without-looking-stupid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My injury provided a great excuse to lose. But I didn’t want an excuse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-jurek/my-injury-provided-a-great-excuse-to-lose-but-i-didn-t-want-an-excuse/) [Scott Jurek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-jurek/) > [In order to have the stuff of a tyrant, a certain mental derangement is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/in-order-to-have-the-stuff-of-a-tyrant-a-certain-mental-derangement/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [The fanatic is incorruptible: if he kills for an idea, he can just as well get himself killed for one; in either case, tyrant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/the-fanatic-is-incorruptible-if-he-kills-for-an-idea-he-can-just-as/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [My father was assassinated by an FBI-CIA connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lennon/my-father-was-assassinated-by-an-fbi-cia-connection/) [Sean Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lennon/) > [ Over the years, he disappeared - like a lot of our leaders disappear. \[James Baldwin\] was not assassinated, but somehow he went through those… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/over-the-years-he-disappeared-like-a-lot-of-our-leaders-disappear/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [“I’d rather be assassinated. It’s not like I’m doing anything this evening. Inevitably there’ll be a parade, so just remember your umbrella.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-d-rather-be-assassinated-it-s-not-like-i-m-doing-anything-this/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [In Memory of BPP Comrades Fred Hampton & Mark Clark, both assassinated by the US Government via the state and local government of Chicago,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-douglas/in-memory-of-bpp-comrades-fred-hampton-mark-clark-both-assassinated/) Emory Douglas > [All critics should be assassinated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/all-critics-should-be-assassinated/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) ## More by Emile M. Cioran > [What does the future, that half of time, matter to the man who is infatuated with eternity?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/what-does-the-future-that-half-of-time-matter-to-the-man-who-is/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [To defy heredity is to defy billions of years, to defy the first cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/to-defy-heredity-is-to-defy-billions-of-years-to-defy-the-first-cell/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [A people represents not so much an aggregate of ideas and theories as of obsessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/a-people-represents-not-so-much-an-aggregate-of-ideas-and-theories-as/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > ["The Holy Ghost," Luther instructs us, "is not a skeptic." Not everyone can be, and that is really too bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/the-holy-ghost-luther-instructs-us-is-not-a-skeptic-not-everyone-can/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Every word affords me pain. Yet how sweet it would be if I could hear what the flowers have to say about death!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/every-word-affords-me-pain-yet-how-sweet-it-would-be-if-i-could-hear/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Woes and wonders of Power, that tonic hell, synthesis of poison and panacea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/woes-and-wonders-of-power-that-tonic-hell-synthesis-of-poison-and/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [If each of us were to confess his most secret desire, the one that inspires all his plans, all his actions, he would say:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/if-each-of-us-were-to-confess-his-most-secret-desire-the-one-that/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [He who hates himself is not humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/he-who-hates-himself-is-not-humble/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Impossible to spend sleepless nights and accomplish anything: if, in my youth, my parents had not financed my insomnias, I should surely have killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/impossible-to-spend-sleepless-nights-and-accomplish-anything-if-in-my/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [One is and remains a slave as long as one is not cured of hoping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/one-is-and-remains-a-slave-as-long-as-one-is-not-cured-of-hoping/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Let us not be needlessly bitter: certain failures are sometimes fruitful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/let-us-not-be-needlessly-bitter-certain-failures-are-sometimes/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Ambition is a drug that makes its addicts potential madmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/ambition-is-a-drug-that-makes-its-addicts-potential-madmen/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Humanity adores only those who cause it to perish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/humanity-adores-only-those-who-cause-it-to-perish/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [Psychoanalysis is a technique we practice at our cost; psychoanalysis degrades our risks, our dangers, our depths; it strips us of our impurities, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/psychoanalysis-is-a-technique-we-practice-at-our-cost-psychoanalysis/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) [Explore all 272 Emile M. Cioran quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. 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But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. 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